Page 77 of The Bond That Burns

Then I looked at her face. She was flushed, her lashes lowered, her petal-soft lips parted as she looked up at me.

I knew what she wanted, what she wasn’t going to ask for.

I covered her mouth with mine, pushing my tongue into her mouth, fucking her with it as I thrust again and again inside her, taking her to the edge with me as my hand slipped between us, rubbing her clit. She tightened around my cock, hard, and a cry spasmed from my lips as I shuddered, our climaxes crashing around us like a wave of pleasure.

I felt the moment she came, the beauty of it. The way her body tensed, spasmed, relaxed. I lifted my mouth from hers andtook in the look on her face—an expression beyond happiness, beyond contentment. And I’d brought it to her.

It felt good. So fucking good to know I could make her do more than hate me.

Dangerously good.

She looked up at me, her eyelashes fluttering softly.

“That,” I said roughly, my voice hoarse and ragged from the rush of sensation. “That’s how it should feel for you. Always.”

Her eyes met mine, full of confusion.

“You can hate me all you want, little dragon,” I murmured, gently brushing a strand of red hair off her face. “But part of you knows now. There’s no going back.”

I watched as she slowly came back to herself, her chest rising and falling gently with the remnants of exertion. The flush on her cheeks deepened as she glanced at me, as if realizing all over again where we were and what we’d just done.

I couldn’t help but smirk. She looked incredible underneath me with her wild crimson hair. A red dragon, laid bare for me.

I rolled off her and stood up, moving to the wardrobe to grab a plush black robe trimmed with red cord. Without a word, I handed it to her.

She stared at it a moment before accepting it cautiously and slipping it on, pulling the soft fabric around herself.

The sight of her like that made something primal and possessive stir inside me. She was draped in my colors, my house insignia on her breast, her slender form swallowed up by the fabricthat was marked with my scent. It was symbolic. Whether she realized it or not.

“You can borrow that,” I said smoothly, gesturing to the robe. “Can’t have you walking back to your room in the nude.” My gaze lingered on her bare legs, and she scowled, tugging the robe down.

“Very generous of you,” she muttered. But I could see the faint flicker of surprise in her eyes.

I imagined walking into the refectory tomorrow with her by my side. Everyone would know. They’d see her and they’d understand. Medra Pendragon wasn’t just some reluctant consort eager to break away from me anymore. She was mine in every way that mattered.

Feeding from her wouldn’t be a battle anymore. I’d make it a pleasure for us both. This was how it should always have been. I’d fucked up, but now I could make things right. Turn back the clock so to speak.

“What are you smiling about?” she asked sharply, interrupting my thoughts. Her green eyes were narrowed in suspicion.

“Nothing,” I said casually, leaning back against the headboard. “Just thinking about how good you look like that.”

Her face flushed and she looked away, busying herself with tying the robe’s belt. I was almost content to let the moment stretch, basking in the satisfaction of knowing I’d gotten what I wanted. Almost.

“You know,” I said, my voice still conversational. “This doesn’t have to be complicated. We can make things easier for both of us.”

She froze, her hands stilling. “What do you mean?”

“I mean,” I continued. “You don’t have to keep pretending you hate me quite so much. If we’re going to be doing this, we might as well enjoy it, right? You’ll see. Things will be better if you stop fighting me all the time, Pendragon.”

The sharp, incredulous laugh that burst out of her caught me off guard.

“You really are unbelievable, Blake.” She stood up and pulled the robe tighter as she looked down at me. “To think, I really thought for a second that you might actually have learned something.”

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” I snapped, sitting up straighter.

“It means you don’t get it,” she said, her voice dangerously low. “Nothing has changed between us. Like you said, we don’t have to like one another tofuck.”

I felt like I’d been slapped.

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